i hate deer. in fact, i have an irrational fear of them. and for everything i love about fall, deer are the one black mark against this season, for it is during fall that deer become more active (due to mating season and new food patterns) and thus more likely to run out in front of you while you're happily driving down the road. personally, i'm flabbergasted when a person hits a deer and worries more about if the deer is OK than about how they just walked away from a collision that could have caused serious injury or even death. if i ever hit and kill a deer, i won't feel guilty that the deer died and i lived.
because of my irrational fear of deer, i have been known to google things such as "avoiding a deer collision" and "what to do if you're going to hit a deer." so in honor of fall, here are a few things you should know:
1. deer are most active between 6pm and 6am, especially in the hours right around sunset and sunrise.
2. you should always be vigilant in areas where a deer sign is posted. they don't make those signs bright yellow with a big leaping deer in the middle for nothing.
3. i take #2 a bit further and remain vigilant on every single road that looks like it'd be a prime deer-hitting spot. if there are woods or fields on the sides of the road, you might not be safe. and when i say vigilant, what i mean is that you should always be looking out for deer, always prepared that one could run across the road at any minute, and perhaps driving at a reduced speed just in case. oh, and bright lights are good too.
4. deer tend to travel in groups, so if you see one, there are probably others. therefore, if a deer runs out in front of you, wait until you are sure there aren't more coming before you continue on your journey.
5. if you are going to hit a deer (ie, one is in the middle of the road, blinded by your headlights (ie, lauren's greatest fear ever)), DO NOT SWERVE. you may get yourself into an even more serious accident by losing control of your car. in other words, just hit the deer.
6. if you hit a deer, move your car to the side of the road and call the police. do not mess with the deer, even if you think it's dead. deer have been known to suddenly resurrect and charge.
the irony of all of this is that in the 2 months we've been living in this house, i have had deer run out in front of me 3 times on the main road our neighborhood sits off of. earlier this week, we had to stop suddenly because one deer ran out, and then another, and then another. and it's only the beginning of fall...
lauren you are so funny & cute. when we were in lex were you ever in my parents living room where there's a giant deer on the wall? i hope you never hit a deer. i've done it before (on 51 in chapel hill), but prob wont again since i have your tips.
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